Waking Up
by Alex Sambora
Summary: Splinter has been haunted the last few nights of memories of his past. But when meeting up with a certain girl from said dreams, including her students, what awaits the fate of him and his sons when he finds out their allegiences? SplinterxOC
1. Proulog, Dreams

Disclaimer: I don't own TMNT. If I did, Splinter would have way too many senior moments.

NOTE: This is in an alternate version of the series where Splinter was a rat demon that was taken in and "renamed" by Yoshi. (Don't get mad, I'm going to associate demons with Japan and ninjas.) The mutation thing happening resulted in him being unable to completely take on his true form, as well as make his rat form grow to his true form's height.

XxXxXxXxX

Proulog-Dreams

XxXxXxXxX

_"Who are you?" the rat demanded._

_"Hamato Yoshi," the man replied humbly. "Why do you ask?"_

_"You're one of the people who hunted my kind."_

_"I assure you, child, I am not."_

_"Lies!_

_The demon rushed Yoshi. The martial artist retaliated by throwing a punch and sending the child to the ground. He looked at the man, shocked by the action, as he struggled to his feet but was unable to get up._

_"I hurt you solely because you attempted to hurt me," Yoshi explained, picking up the weapon, a bo staff, that would have harmed him. "Otherwise, I am harmless to you."_

_"I-I'm sorry," the rat said, his eyes welling up with tears. "M-my family has been killed and I was rash. I'm so sorry."_

_"What is your name?"_

_"What?"_

_"Your name. What is it?"_

_In all the rush, this caught the child by surprise. He had a name, but even with the attack on this man's life, the demon could start anew._

_"I-I don't have a name," he lied. Yoshi clenched the staff and he flinched. "Please don't kill me!"_

_"I will not." Yoshi dropped the weapon extanded his hand. to help his new comrad up. "Come. You look like you could use something to eat." He opened the door. "Tang Shen, Ancient One, Kokoro, we have a guest."_

Splinter groaned as he opened his eyes. So the pattern had occured again. Every night for the past few months, his dreams were filled with memories of his former life-and they didn't seem like they'd be letting up anytime soon.

Slowly and carefully, he sat up and scanned the room in search of his robe. When he found it, he put it on and exited his room. The eldest two of his children, Leonardo and Raphael, proclaimed him good morning but didn't receive a reply.

"Good morning, Sensei," Michelangelo, the youngest of the boys, said, bowing. He had been on the floor, his cat Klunk beside him, reading comic books but had stood when his father entered.

"Good morning, Michelangelo," Splinter mumbled, clearly not as awake as he would like.

"Hello, Master Splinter," Donatello, the third oldest, said as the sensei entered the kitchen. "Would you like some coffe? Maybe something to eat?"

"Coffee. Coffee would be nice, please."

It smelled fresh and after an incident concerning Michelangelo, the coffe maker, and pizza, the brainiac turtle was the only one allowed to make the coffee. As a reuslt, it was usually the best damn thing to have in the morning, even if you're not in the best of moods. Donatello fixed his father a cup and the two sat there for a bit, sipping their coffees and going over the lesson plans for that day.

"Master, may I ask you something?" the purple bandana'd turtle asked when they finished discussing the possibility of another invisibility lesson.

"Of course, my son," Splinter replied. The coffee had helped wake him up better than he had been and could now stand any question, even if it was his youngest asking him to retrieve a hundred pizzas within five minutes. "What is it?"

"Pardon me if this seems rude, but you have been waking up later than usual in the mornings and are much more grouchier as of late. Why?"

Silence.

"It is a rather long story," Splinter finally said. Having expected it to come from Michelangelo, it took him quite by surprise. "It has to do with my beloved Master Yoshi... and a girl I was once head over heels in love with. Thank you for the coffee, Donatello."

He walked out, leaving Donatello to ponder just how much he actually knew about him.


	2. Chapter 1, NewFurryFaces

Discliamer: I don't own TMNT.

NOTE: As of this chapter, the boys will be going by their nicknames.

XxXxXxXxX

Chapter 1-New, Furry, Faces

XxXxXxXxX

"Sensei, what are we doing?" Leo asked as he and his brothers followed Splinter through the sewers.

Splinter didn't answer.

"Am I the only one he's pissin' off?" Raph grumbled, a rock colliding with his head a few moments later.

"Raph!" Donny exclaimed, also beginning to get hit by rocks.

Meanwhile, Splinter stopped in his tracks. He was finally sensing the "trouble" his sons were in and followed the shouts back to them. What he found was four humanoid rat-girls throwing rocks and such at the boys.

"What in the world..." the rat muttered upon seeing this. "Stop it!"

The girls looked at him.

"Hamato Nezumi," one girl said, narrowing her brown eyes. Apparently she was the leader.

"Who's Nezumi?" Mikey exclaimed. "The only Hamatos here our Master Splinter, me, and my brothers!" The leading girl flipped her dark hair behind her shoulder and walked menacingly towards Splinter.

"Your master's name isn't Splinter."

"Thalia!" another female voice shouted.

When the voice's owner, another rat-girl about Splinter's height and age wearing a gray, red, and yellow robe, entered the chamber, Splinter faltered.

"_Kokoro?_"


End file.
